May 27, 2012 8:50 PM

We have a garden in south London and today we had two of these on our runner bean canes. They seemed somewhat forbidding but kept to themselves, basking in the sunlight and flying to and fro for about 30 minutes.

Looking at various pictures it does not seem to be a European hornet. If it isn't, what is it?

I don't think the Dragon Flies have to pretend to look like anything else. They have the best eyesight in the insect world, fearsome jaws that shred insects in seconds and are extremely fast and very maneouverable. Pretty hot stuff all round actually.